The power of the right TMC in major travel disruption
Recently, southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales were hit by Tropical Cyclone Alfred, bringing with it destructive winds, rain and flooding, which had a raft of impacts on day-to-day life, and threw travel plans into disarray.
Airports in the region were closed for nearly four days in some instances, such as at the Gold Coast and Ballina Airports, whilst Brisbane Airport closed for more than two days over the peak travel days of Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday, before reopening on Sunday morning. All carriers were impacted, and Corporate Traveller had around 7,000 customers impacted by airport closures, that were forced to reschedule travel as a result.
Rising to the challenge
While domestic airlines were quick to offer leniency in rebooking, eliminating fees that would usually be incurred, international carriers, for the most part, had unchanged cancellation policies, and travellers managing their own travel, or not working with the right travel managers, were left out of pocket. For example, we had customers who attempted to rebook their own international trip and were looking at costs of more than $8,500 per booking. When our team got in touch with the carrier directly on their behalf, the fee was waived, saving the customer more than $17,000 across two bookings. They got onto their preferred flight and were not out of pocket – an outcome impossible without the dedicated support of their Corporate Traveller travel manager.
Changing a single flight leg in or out of the impacted area for thousands of customers was one thing, but many travellers would have flow-on effects – hotel and hire care bookings, connecting flights, and airport transfers – which also required prompt attention.
This is where the unbeatable combination of a dedicated travel manager with in-house 24/7 emergency service was a lifeline to customers. Corporate Traveller’s expertise and relationships led to solutions and best-case outcomes that were unmatched.
Many customers and staff members were personally hit by the impacts of the cyclone, some left without power, and many not able to make it into the office or to the airport as was required, adding to the complexities of essential communication and connection over several days. Corporate Traveller was equipped with a bespoke plan to handle the complexities, redistribute staff, and find instant solutions to ensure business continuity - without any impact on customers.
For us, it’s personal. Travel managers were making themselves available in the early morning, late evening and over the weekend, to support their customers, and take some pressure off the overloaded After Hours team, to ensure wait times for customers was minimised. No one rested until every customer was satisfied with their travel arrangements.
The nitty gritty
Our frontline team had enquiries ramp up by significantly during the week of the cyclone impact from the normal volumes, and with several travel managers and After Hours team members impacted by power outages themselves, the task at hand was immense.
The After Hours team had volumes of calls of up to 50 per hour
They handled 433 phone calls over three days
During this time, the team made 708 flight changes and cancellations, and 232 new flight bookings
25 per cent of calls were handled within two minutes
Delivering in times of crisis
The unwelcome cyclone is just one recent reminder as to why the personalised service of the right travel management company is the difference between getting to where you need to be, or being left stranded, and saving on incurred expenses or forking out on change and cancellation fees. An unbeatable combination of a dedicated travel manager, who is working around the clock for you day and night, along with the relationships Corporate Traveller holds that can deliver you solutions where others cannot, is what sets our team apart in the moments that it counts.
It’s not about automating your travel and booking you onto the next available flight no matter the cost or inconvenience – it’s working alongside you, your personal support, to give you the best outcome; for your ease, and for your bottom line.
Safety is paramount
Traveller safety and duty of care is the number one focus for all businesses when it comes to travel. When a crisis hits, it’s a balancing act to put safety as the top priority, while continuing business as usual where it’s safe and appropriate to do so. According to a survey of our own customers, more than one third have told us that traveller wellbeing and engagement is of the utmost priority, even at the very best of times when things are going well.
Corporate Traveller works ahead of the curve, in lockstep with airports and carriers at every stage, ensuring we’re prompt in getting you the latest, most accurate information available at each moment. In the week the cyclone was approaching and hit the coast, our team shared 10 live updates with customers through all channels to inform them of the latest impacts, often times before the information hit the media or the public realm. We were in touch with customers on the touchpoints they prefer, at least once or twice a day, with the latest they needed to know, and the detail on how it would impact them, and what the next steps looked like.
We know you care deeply about being safe and informed, and we make it our business to ensure you’re able to keep your travellers moving around the world safely and with the essential information
Success stories
There are so many success stories swirling around the office as our travel managers share the impact that has been had during this challenging period. Not least of those was an Australian-based customer who had their once-in-every-two-years global gathering – this time set to take place in Las Vegas. It was scheduled for the week that Brisbane Airport and many surrounding airports were closed. More than 200 delegates from Australia were travelling to the gathering, a large portion of those scheduled to depart from Brisbane. Not only were the flights out of Brisbane impacted, but the flow-on effect meant that connecting domestic flights in the U.S., airport transfers and accommodation bookings were thrown into disarray.
Collectively, more than 50 passengers were re-routed or rescheduled, from their point of origin, right through to their hotel room in San Francisco, to make sure no one missed the major team get-together. It was a mammoth effort, given the combination of carriers and connections, most of which did not have cyclone specific policies, because they were a U.S. carrier and didn’t have the same level of impact.
All the while, Corporate Traveller kept the key contact in Las Vegas up to date with the moving parts and need-to-know information, so they could responsibly manage the duty of care they held for their team.
Thank you to our incredible team of travel managers
Corporate Traveller General Manager Queensland, Ian Knights, has reflected on the events that unfolded, and how the team banded together to deliver for customers:
"Reflecting on the performance of the Corporate Traveller team during Cyclone Alfred, one of the standout strengths was our ability to answer phone or email enquiries from customers promptly during normal work hours. This was significantly faster than if they had to contact the airline directly.
Our communication to customers was both critical and effective. It was proactive and informative. I was really pleased to hear the positive feedback from our customers, who genuinely valued these timely updates.
Our team was able to show value in gaining waivers from airlines to avoid fees, namely cancellation fees, which was particularly relevant for international carriers who didn't have as clear policies and, in many instances, the situation was more complex than that of the domestic carriers. This saved numerous customers many thousands of dollars.
The coordination between our after-hours team and daytime operations was seamless, ensuring the best results for our customers. It went beyond the initial booking change – quite often with follow-up calls to make sure the travellers got home safely and received what they needed.
I take my hat off to everyone in the Corporate Traveller team. This level of performance during such a challenging time truly demonstrates the dedication and efficiency that is delivered when you have Corporate Traveller on your side."
Our customers have had many wonderful things to say about the support they received from our experts on the front line as the cyclone hit the east coast.
“I would like to sincerely thank Corporate Traveller for securing [our traveller’s] booking amidst such a challenging and adverse weather situation. I understand the immense pressure your service is under right now and I truly appreciate the effort and commitment to ensure passengers are accommodated. Your dedication to maintaining service under these circumstances is truly commendable.”
“I just wanted to give my heartfelt thanks for the help you guys provided throughout [the impacts of Cyclone Alfred]. I’m often a user of web-based booking systems, however your personal service over the last few days is what made it possible for me to keep this travel a reality, despite the disruptions and cancellations caused by the predicted cyclone. I could not have asked for more from you all.”
“Just a quick note to say a big thank you for arranging my flight back to Brisbane. Got back safely. Flew over and beside the cyclone. Its huge!! I appreciate you being so diligent. My family are all relieved too!! So again, huge appreciation from me.”
